Naming Names

It's a matter of politeness, we were taught to never name names. The pendulum swung all the way in recent years: it seems that we're all too happy to point fingers away from us. There is a middle ground and I've tried to keep the posts on FC Expert blogs fair to the story as well as the company. Some of my stories, maybe not the most popular, are about positive experiences.

We cannot hope to correct faulty assumptions and a service that does not work if we don't outline what the problem is in the first place. It doesn't mean we're keen only on placing blame and initiating an "us" vs. "them" campaign. It's about learning from mistakes: ours and other people's. This week I'm busting Blockbuster for their uncaring and sloppy service to customers. The store is a franchise -- does that count as little guy vs. big corporation?

Will it make a difference to the company's stock price and plans for the future that they have exasperated a customer? I know you wonder when that happens to you. Maybe we cannot affect what the company in question does -- we can surely learn the lesson for our business. Three lessons to take away:

• Create your brand story -- matching what others are doing is a long and disappointing road to reacting in the marketplace. Design a new space for what you offer by creating an experience that is not found anywhere else. Then...
• Deliver a true experience -- do you want to know what it feels like to deal with you? Ask your customers. No news doesn't always equal good news. There's nothing worse than when someone has given up on you. You're now commoditized and will be replaced at the first occasion. So you want to...
• Keep your promises -- that means that if you say you'll do something in your advertising, you need to follow through with action. That's how you build credibility and maintain relevance in the marketplace. Keeping your promises also means saying you're sorry when you don't deliver -- even if the fault is not yours alone.

It may not be polite to name names, yet sometimes we hide behind them. Does it matter whom we work for? We have a choice: we can either make excuses, or we can do what it takes to keep our piece of the world in well-functioning order.

Comments

[Matt Dickman]

You're so right Valeria. I know what you mean in your Blockbuster example. They've tired me out as a customer when I came across bad service, lack of inventory, mis-charges, late fees, etc. All of those small experiences led me to run away screaming into the arms of their competitor. At this point there is no way I would ever go back.

Average service is bad service in my book. If you're not going above and beyond, I'm not interested. Just one great experience would have kept me interested. Mediocre experiences made me start looking at other options and bad experiences made me leave. I hope they are joining the conversation and learning as a company...but somehow I doubt it.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Matt:

I was surprised by the difference in experiences as shared by some of my readers at FC Experts. As a long time customer, I have had similar stories to yours. It would be interesting to inquire if length of relationships changes things -- less disappointments? More benefit of the doubt? What do others think?

[Lewis Green]

Valeria,

Like you, I cringe some when I name names, as my mother didn't raise me that way.

However. as a business person and marketer whose reputation is affected by every other business person and marketer, I have little choice but to share both the good and the bad. I owe it to my readers (my customers) and I owe it to my mission to get businesses to stop focusing only on their products and services and to instead place a majority of their energies on people and the experiences they create for those people.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Lewis:

Focusing on people should be a universal mandate. When you strip everything away, that's what's left.

[ann michael]

Valeria - you hit a chord with me today. I just had a horrible experience with HP: http://managetochange.typepad.com/main/2007/03/and_the_winner_.html It really leaves you frustrated. After that experience I ended up buying 2 computers from another source - HP lost over $4500!!!

Sometimes the only recourse we have as consumers is to name names. It's the source of our power!!!

Cheers!
Ann

[Joe Raasch]

I have no problem naming names when businesses and employees don't respect themselves or their customers.

I had an incredibly frustrating experience flying Northwest Airlines from the Bahamas back to Minneapolis (via Detroit, which is a different story). Some lowlights:

Poor call center service: we wanted to avoid a 4 1/2 hr layover in Detroit. We were told that there needs to be at least an hour between flights to clear customs. Makes sense...except that we clear customs IN THE BAHAMAS! So we get a 4 1/2 hr layover at the end of a week of relaxation. Key note: your call center people need to know the basics to help people.

Flight attendant: a Northwest flight attendant spent the better part of two hours complaining to another passenger about the 'raw deal' attendants received, how much she didn't like her job, etc. etc. Right in the main cabin, for all to experience. Key note: Guess what? We're your customers and we see you, the pilots, the mechanics, the analysts at corporate, the gate agents, all the same: "The Airline". You should too.

What we should resolve to do as consumers is to ALWAYS name names, and directly to the offending company or location. It is good for business to know what isn't working, especially direct from customers. Then they have an opportunity to change.

Best,
Joe

[Valeria Maltoni]

Ann -- I was looking at buying a new printer and now I will look twice before I select HP. Thank you for the heads up.

Joe -- oh my, it sounds like a rough trip. And a hit on yet another airline brand. I like your key notes. You know what's funny? I know you blogged about this experience and I'm just another blogger. Authors find me all the time because I've blogged about their book. It would be so easy for airlines and businesses to find those customers who are vocal -- and constructive -- and reach out to them. Don't make me fill yet another third-party survey. The information is already out there.